Zimbabwe fall short

Jayawardene top-scored with 96

Triangular Series, Colombo: Sri Lanka (272-7) beat Zimbabwe (213 all out) by 59 runs

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A first innings 272 from Sri Lanka was just too big for Zimbabwe, who fell to a 59-run defeat in the triangular series.

Spinner Muttiah Muralitharan finished with figures of four for 32 as the tourists were bowled out for 213 in the 48th over at the Premadasa Stadium.

Needing to score at 5.44 per over for victory, openers Grant Flower (45) and Dion Ebrahim (32) put on 69 runs in 14 overs.

But off-spinner Muralitharan removed both batsmen and then prolific left-hander Andy Flower fell in trying to reverse-sweep Jayasuriya.

That left Zimbabwe 103 for three after 23.4 overs, and they continued to fall behind in their run chase.

Muralitharan was later on a hat-trick when he took the wickets of Heath Streak and Tatenda Taibu off consecutive balls, by when the result of the match was evident.

The home side had earlier recovered from 35 for two after captain Sanath Jayasuriya won the toss and elected to bat.

Avishka Gunawardene and Mahela Jayawardene both narrowly missed out on centuries for the hosts.

Jayawardene needed just 108 balls to go to 96, but was then trapped lbw by Henry Olonga.

Opener Gunawardene hit a slightly slower 90 and Russel Arnold an enterprising 34 off just 27 balls.

Heath Streak took three wickets but his 10 overs cost 51 runs. Olonga, with one for 44 in his 10, was Zimbabwe's most economical bowler.

The next match of the tournament sees Sri Lanka take on the West Indies at Kandy on Saturday.

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Sri Lanka: Sanath Jayasuriya (capt), Avishka Gunawardene, Marvan Atapattu, Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara, Russel Arnold, Kumar Dharmasena, Chaminda Vaas, Upul Chandana, Nuwan Zoysa, Muttiah Muralitharan. Zimbabwe: Stuart Carlisle (capt), Heath Streak, Craig Wishart, Dion Ebrahim, Tatendra Taibu, Andy Flower, Grant Flower, Travis Friend, Henry Olonga, Douglas Marillier, Mluleki Nkala.

Umpires: L V Jayasundara and T H Wijewardene